Chapter 561: I Want to Live Like This Person
Chapter 561: I Want to Live Like This Person
Geom Mu-geuk watched in silence as the Blood Heaven Blade Demon brewed the tea.
He had been served tea by the man many times before, but today felt different.
"Let me do it."
Unable to just sit still, Dan-ah stepped forward and offered to take over.
"It is fine," he replied.
Though his voice remained gruff, the look in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes softened as he watched Dan-ah.
Dan-ah stayed by his side to assist, doing her absolute best to make a good impression. Having lived as a ronin for so long, she was terrified of being seen as someone lacking in manners.
"You said you lived as a ronin with your younger sisters?"
"Yes."
"You must have suffered much."
The words sounded foreign to Dan-ah. She had never heard such a thing from an elder before. In her world, everyone—young and old alike—was focused solely on surviving by any means necessary.
"If that rascal ever causes you trouble, come and tell me anytime."
Geom Mu-geuk could feel it. He knew exactly what was in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s heart today. To the old demon, today was the day his "son" had finally brought home the woman who would become his daughter-in-law.
Unlike Seo Dae-ryong, who was fidgeting nervously a short distance away, the One Flower Sword Venerable watched the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s back in silence.
What was she thinking? Was she remembering the young Blood Heaven Blade Demon who used to recite poetry to her? Or was she remembering the girl she used to be as she listened to those poems?
Her mind drifted back to the days when her father traveled the Central Plains alongside the Fist Demon—the days when everyone was young and the world was wide.
As the One Flower Sword Venerable turned her gaze toward the window, her eyes met Geom Mu-geuk’s.
"Young Cult Leader."
"Yes, Sword Venerable?"
"Now that the years have piled up, I realize just how fleeting life truly is."
"Do you not have many more days ahead of you?"
"I wonder."
"You might even achieve Rejuvenation."
The One Flower Sword Venerable shook her head with a look that said, Oh, you.
"Do not think it is over. Ten years from now, you might look back on today and regret not doing something, thinking about how full of life you were back then."
She looked out the window again. It was impossible to tell what thoughts were swirling behind those deep, contemplative eyes.
Meanwhile, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Dan-ah brought over the tea.
"The aroma is wonderful."
Geom Mu-geuk savored the scent as he spoke. However, it was Dan-ah who let out the first exclamation of wonder.
"It’s delicious. This is the best tea I’ve ever had."
Geom Mu-geuk smiled at her.
"Of course it is. This is a tea he said he’d only bring out for precious guests. He never gave us even a single sip."
Dan-ah took it as a joke, but Seo Dae-ryong nodded with an expression that confirmed it was the absolute truth.
The One Flower Sword Venerable added her own comment. "Even I am tasting this tea for the first time."
Naturally, Dan-ah’s face flushed a deep crimson.
She was truly happy. Until now, most of the joy she had felt in life came from the relief of survival. I finished this contract safely. My sisters are safe.
But the joy she felt now was different.
Right now, she was drinking tea specially prepared for her by the master of the man she loved. Before her sat the One Flower Sword Venerable, whom she had always admired, and the Young Cult Leader, who had saved her and her sisters. And above all, Seo Dae-ryong was by her side. It was a moment that felt like a dream.
When was the last time she hadn't felt tense or guarded around others? When was the last time she felt the peace of being loved and protected? The resonance vibrating deep within her heart was something she was experiencing for the very first time.
"Thank you... truly."
Dan-ah’s trembling voice carried the full weight of her emotions.
"You may stay here while Dae-ryong is training," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said.
Since Seo Dae-ryong trained late into the night after finishing his daily duties, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was telling her to stay with them.
As Seo Dae-ryong looked even more moved than Dan-ah, the One Flower Sword Venerable spoke up abruptly.
"She is a swordsman. What good will it do her to watch someone swing that crude blade all day?"
"Crude?!"
"Watching that frustrating master-disciple pair will only make your blood boil. So..." Then, she said something astonishing. "Come to me whenever you have time."
Dan-ah’s eyes widened. The person she admired most was inviting her. The One Flower Sword Venerable—someone she wouldn't dare look in the eye, someone she shouldn't even be in the same room with—was extending a hand.
"May I... really do that?"
The One Flower Sword Venerable nodded.
"Thank you so much. I will definitely come!"
Geom Mu-geuk could see that a new wind of destiny had begun to blow for Dan-ah as well. He turned to Seo Dae-ryong with a grin.
"You’re buying the drinks tonight!"
*
Han Seol was crossing the lake by boat. The person rowing was Yeo-bin, one of the Three Drunkards.
Han Seol had left the Twin Frost Swords waiting on the shore and boarded the boat alone. Sa Han had protested, but So-bing had sent her off.
"Why are you doing this?" Sa Han asked, unable to understand his wife. Initially, she had been even more concerned about protection than he was.
"The Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader... even that Smiling Demon of Extreme Evil we saw. Did any of them show a single opening?"
Even the demonic martial artists they saw while passing through the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were perfectly disciplined.
"In the end, if someone were to target the Young Palace Master here, it would have to be something approved by the Cult Leader himself. Could we even stop it?"
"Does that mean we should just give up on guarding her?"
"It’s not giving up. It’s letting the Young Palace Master see the world and play freely."
Sa Han finally guessed the reason behind her behavior. "You trust the Young Cult Leader."
"I don't trust the Young Cult Leader." Her gaze, as she answered firmly, was fixed on Han Seol in the distant boat. "Han Seol is no longer the little kid we used to know. I am trusting the Young Palace Master, who is now becoming an adult."
The boat carrying Han Seol arrived at the island in the middle of the lake. Guided by Yeo-bin, she ascended the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
The Drunken Demon was drinking alone inside.
"I greet the Demon Lord."
"Young Palace Master, welcome! I heard you had arrived."
Since she was at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she felt she had to pay her respects to the Drunken Demon, even if she didn't see the other Demon Lords. He was, after all, one of the people who had saved the North Sea Ice Palace alongside the Young Cult Leader.
"The lake is beautiful. This pavilion is lovely as well."
"The problem is that an incorrigible drunkard lives in this beautiful place."
Han Seol smiled at the Drunken Demon’s joke. "You suit this place well."
The Drunken Demon felt that she had changed since he last saw her at the Ice Palace. "Come, sit."
Han Seol noticed the cup hanging at the Drunken Demon’s waist. He set the cup down in front of her.
"Do you know what this cup is?"
"Yes. It is the Ice Palace Holy Cup, a treasure of the Cult."
"Have you ever drunk from it?"
When Han Seol shook her head, he poured liquor into the cup.
"I’ve kept it clean, so have a drink."
"I will drink it with gratitude."
Han Seol drank the liquor from the Ice Palace Holy Cup. She wasn't someone who particularly enjoyed alcohol, but her eyes widened in surprise.
"The taste is truly wonderful."
"That’s what happens when good liquor meets a good cup."
The two of them shared a few drinks back and forth. After staring at the lake for a moment, she spoke to the Drunken Demon.
"I never imagined I would come all the way here."
The Drunken Demon wore an understanding expression. "You were with the Young Cult Leader, and by the time you came to your senses, you were at the Main Cult, weren't you?"
Han Seol gave a slight nod with a faint smile. It was an exaggeration, but it was close enough to the truth.
"When I am with him, I find myself thinking things I’ve never thought before in my life."
"For example?"
She fell into thought for a moment. "I want to live like him."
The Drunken Demon poured more liquor into her empty cup. "That’s normal."
"Pardon?"
"Because I’ve thought that dozens of times myself."
Startled by the unexpected remark, Han Seol stared at the Drunken Demon.
"You compare yourself, you feel jealous... and then you get angry and want to make excuses. But do you know something? That moment when you’re angry and want to make excuses—that is exactly when you can understand yourself best."
When I feel anger and when I want to argue... that is where 'I' am?
She felt like she understood, yet didn't quite grasp it.
The Drunken Demon laughed and emptied his cup. "The conclusion is, we can't live like the Young Cult Leader. The man is crazy!"
Han Seol laughed and drank with him. She felt that the word "crazy" was something she could only hear from the Drunken Demon.
"Now, let us comrades have a drink!"
She felt glad she had come to see the Drunken Demon. She had actually hesitated a bit, but she had come because of what Geom Mu-geuk had said.
See as much as you can on this trip.
One way or another, she felt it wasn't easy to escape Geom Mu-geuk’s influence. She thought she would only talk about herself and the Drunken Demon here, but they were talking about the Young Cult Leader again. Still, the fact that she could converse so naturally with the Drunken Demon was only possible because they had Geom Mu-geuk as a common topic.
"You’ll be drinking at the Pungryu Tavern tonight."
"How did you know?"
"It involves alcohol, doesn't it?" The Drunken Demon handed Han Seol an entire crate of liquor that had been in a corner of the pavilion. "Tell the Young Cult Leader I congratulate him on his safe return to the Cult."
*
When Han Seol arrived at the Pungryu Tavern, no one else had arrived yet.
"Welcome!"
Jo Chun-bae greeted her politely. Since they had been introduced earlier, he knew she was the Young Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace.
"Please, come this way."
"Before that, please take this." She handed him the crate of liquor the Twin Frost Swords were carrying. "It is a gift from the Drunken Demon to the Young Cult Leader."
"I see. I will serve this liquor today."
He might have been offended by outside liquor being brought in, but Jo Chun-bae didn't mind at all. She didn't yet know how deep the bond between Geom Mu-geuk and Jo Chun-bae was.
Jo Chun-bae guided her to her fixed seat on the second floor. The Twin Frost Swords did not follow her up but waited on the first floor.
Normally, Sa Han would have gone up to the second floor and taken a seat in the corner, but this time, So-bing suggested they just wait here. She even went a step further.
"Dear, let’s have a drink too. We haven't had a proper drink since we came to the Central Plains."
"Fine. If something goes wrong with the Young Palace Master and we end up dying anyway, we might as well have one last drink."
He spoke as if he had given up, but that wasn't how he truly felt. Whenever there was a major event, he trusted her intuition and judgment, and they had survived well so far. He trusted his wife’s judgment now as well.
As Han Seol was about to sit down at the second-floor table, she was startled by the writing carved into the wall.
"Is this really written by the Cult Leader and the Alliance Leader?"
Jo Chun-bae answered proudly. "Yes, it is. They left it during the Three-Party Meeting."
There were writings left by the Demon Lords as well. She had never seen such things left on a tavern wall before. It was refreshing and surprising.
The words 'Young Palace Master, why don't you leave a word as well?' lingered on the tip of Jo Chun-bae’s tongue, but he didn't dare say them aloud.
Just then, Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong entered the tavern.
"Owner, this man is the one paying for the drinks today, so take good care of him."
"Why are you doing this? I have someone to provide for now, you know?"
"They’ll eat and live well even without you."
The Dan sisters followed behind them. Since they were joining a new organization tomorrow, today would be the last time they could drink with a light heart for a while.
Dan-yeon took Seo Dae-ryong’s side. "Stop bullying our brother-in-law!"
Dan-ah was startled and scolded her for being rude, while Seo Dae-ryong broke into a wide grin.
"You're too much, Youngest Miss! How is a man without a sister-in-law supposed to live with such sorrow?"
Jo Chun-bae, coming down from the second floor, said to them, "Don't worry about the bill today. The Drunken Demon sent liquor. I’ll provide the food myself for once."
Seo Dae-ryong’s face lit up. He whispered to Dan-yeon, "Since I saved money, I’ll give you some pocket money!"
Geom Mu-geuk just laughed. It was the first time he had seen Seo Dae-ryong look so happy.
Yes, laugh like that.
He had regressed for this very reason—to protect that smile. So, laugh and play to your heart's content.
Then, someone else entered the tavern.
"Young Cult Leader!"
The newcomer was Demon Monarch Jang Ho.
"Commander Jang! Have you been well?"
"Young Cult Leader! I am glad you returned safely."
The two had a warm reunion. Jang Ho, always reliable, looked like his muscles had grown even larger.
"Commander Jang!"
The person truly happy to see him was Seo Dae-ryong. He was dying to brag about Dan-ah in a private setting. Aside from Geom Mu-geuk, the only people he could comfortably brag to were Lee An and Jang Ho.
Then, Geom Mu-geuk saw someone peek inside the door and try to walk past.
"Captain Kang!"
It was Gang Dal. He had come because Geom Mu-geuk told him to, but he had hesitated several times. He thought the invitation might have just been a formality. Even now, he was considering just passing by and going back.
"Over here! Where are you going?"
Geom Mu-geuk welcomed him so warmly that his tension melted away.
"I wasn't sure if this was a place I should be."
"This gathering started with you, Captain Kang! If it weren't for you, this wouldn't even exist."
Hearing that made Gang Dal happy. He had been so busy adjusting to the Main Headquarters that he hadn't even realized he was in a good mood. But with Geom Mu-geuk’s return, he finally felt like he was living among people again.
"I greet the Commander!" Gang Dal bowed politely to Jang Ho. He hadn't expected a Demon Monarch to be at this drinking party.
"Good to see you."
Was it because Geom Mu-geuk was there? The Demon Monarch he saw here felt different from the one he saw within the Cult.
The last to arrive was Cheon So-hui, the successor to the Fist Demon.
"It has been a while, Young Cult Leader."
Knowing she had been focusing solely on her martial arts training since becoming the Fist Demon’s successor, he had invited her on purpose today. It wasn't for Han Seol’s sake, but for Cheon So-hui’s—to let her see people and catch her breath.
With everyone gathered at the entrance, Geom Mu-geuk looked up at the second floor.
"Everyone is here now."
Han Seol was looking down at them with a surprised expression. When he said he had friends to introduce at the Cult, she thought it would be one or two people. She hadn't expected him to bring this many. Why didn't you just invite the entire Divine Cult?
The Drunken Demon’s words came back to her.
'That’s right, this man is crazy.'
Geom Mu-geuk led the way up the stairs.
"Owner, close the doors and set the tables!"